The Gaza Strip

There has been a conflict concerning the Gaza Strip for years. This densely populated coastal strip lies between Egypt and Israel and is inhabited by more than 1.8 million Palestinians. The capital city of the Gaza Strip is Gaza City. The area is often simply referred to as Gaza.

The conflict regarding the Gaza Strip

There are multiple causes for the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel captured the area during the Six-Day War of 1967 and established Jewish villages. But in the 1990s, the PLO and Israel began looking for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 1993, both parties signed the Oslo Accords in Washington. The PLO acknowledged the state of Israel and in return, Israel would withdraw from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Therefore, Israel permanently removed its Jewish citizens from Gaza in 2005.

Hamas

Palestinian Hamas militants take part in an anti-Israel military show in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 11, 2019.

The situation in the area has deteriorated since Israel’s departure. In 2006, the militant Hamas movement won the parliamentary elections. However, this victory was not

recognized, so Hamas decided to carry out a violent coup. In June 2007, Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip. The Islamic resistance movement wants to ‘liberate’ Palestine from Israel and establish its own Palestinian state.

Because Hamas is a threat to Israel, the country set up a blockade around the area in 2006. Imports of goods have been strictly monitored since that time. From the coast, the Israelis check ships from the outside. With these measures, Israel wants to protect its inhabitants. Egypt has also hermetically closed its border with Gaza.

Timeline

This video provides a brief history of the area from 2005 to 2018.